Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to garments including body shaping garments and performance enhancing garments that include an altered stress profile. The garment includes one or more layers of material such as fabric and/or polyurethane foam in combination with an aqueous dispersion.
Summary of Related Technology
Garments provide a variety of different functions including, but not limited to, warmth, fashion, and comfort. Two goals of body shaping garments include support and comfort either of which can be compromised due to the other. One reason for reduction in comfort is that garments designed for body-shaping or support frequently have areas where increased pressure is exerted on the wearer of the garment.
The areas of increased pressure can result in discomfort to the wearer. Therefore, there is a need for garments that overcome these deficiencies by redistributing the pressure by altering the stress profile of the garment, including providing additional support where desired, and providing greater comfort to the wearer.
Another issue experienced by body-shaping garments, such as laminated foam garments, is fabric growth. This is particularly an issue with one-piece laminated foam brassieres. There is a need to provide a method of redistributing or controlling stress within the garment to prevent fabric growth.